Vending machine



May 3 1924.

C. MAY

' VENDING MACHINE Filed Dec. 31, 1918 a 1 in I 6"! llfiflllildi'drlllll 0 I w A m ffGP H'E Patented May 13, 1924.,

UNWEQ ETATES CHARLES MAY, OF BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

VENDING MACHINE. j

App1ication filed December 31, 1918. Serial No. 269,087.

1/ 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES MAY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement relating to Vending Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of devices above named, and an object of my invention, among others, is to provide a machine of this class with means for preventing unauthorized use, with means for facilitating loading of the machine and with means for preventing insertion of a coin therein without adequate return therefor.

One form of vending machine embodying my invention and in the construction and use of which the objects herein set out, as well as others, may be attained is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of my improved vending machine with parts broken away to show construction;

Figure 2 a top plan view of the case with the cover removed, and

Figure 3 a fragmentary view, scale enlarged, on plane denoted by the dotted line 33 of Fig. 1, parts beyond being omitted.

My invention forming the subject matter of this application, although not limited to any special construction, has been devised in connection with the machine illustrated and described in my co-pending application for patent on vending machines, filed Nov. 6, 1918, of Serial Number 261,348, to which reference is hereby made for an understanding of such parts of the device not embodying the present invention as may not be illustrated and described in detail herein.

In the accompanying drawings the numeral 5 indicates the case of my improved vending machine supported on a suitable standard 6 rising from abase 7. A package carrier 8 is mounted on a post 9 extending upwardly within and from the bottom of the case. A coin carrier 10 is pivotally attached to the under surface of the cover 11 of the case, this carrier having a coin opening 12 positioned underneath a coin slot 13 in the cover when the coin carrier is in its normal position of rest. When the coin is inserted in said coin slot it drops into the opening 12 and through one of a number of indexing slots 14 in an indexing plate 15 secured to the upper end of the package carrier or drum 8, the bottom edge of the coin 14: to retain the package carrier from rotation, the detent being released by the action of the coin that is movedby the coin car rier across the inclined face of the trip 18, thereby swinging the detent lever on its pivot in a manner that will be readily seen, the coin carrier being manually operated as by means of pressure on an actuating knob 21 projecting through a slot in the cover 11,

said coin carrier operating to move the coin across said trip and to carry a coin into position to fall through a coin discharge slot 22 through the table 16-and into a coin chute 23 through which the coin passes to any suitable receptacle in the standard 6.

The above described mechanism is illustrated in my co-pending applicationherein before referred to, in which it is described more in detail. The mechanism comprising the invention of this case embodies means for preventing the insertion of a coin after the last package in the package carrier has been discharged therefrom. This mechanism comprises a ring 24 secured to the indexing plate 15 and having a'fingcr 25 with a stop 26 upturned at the end of the finger and adapted to be located in the path of backward movement of the coin carrier when the last package in the package carrier has been discharged. This stop holds the coin carrier in a position to close the coin slot 13 and prevent insertion of a coin at this time.

This invention also comprises a hood 27 overlying the coin slot to prevent insertion of an instrument through the coin slot from the back for the purpose of reaching the trip 18 to operate the detent lever to release the package carrier, which, when the detent is released, may be operated from underneath by inserting the fingers of the hand through the opening in the front of the standard 6 into which the articles are discharged to be obtained bv the purchaser, said opening being denoted by the numeral 30.

The present invention also contemplates rest against and grip the sides of one of the pockets in the package carrier, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. I prefer to secure this cover in place as by spot welding. A blank space is thus provided on the package carrier that will enable one to readily and properly position said carrier when it has been filled and the machine is being prepared for use. This blank or' unoccupied space on the package carrier may 'be provided in various ways, but that embodying the cover is very simple. This blank space is located the distance of a one-step movement of the package carrier back of the finger 25, and in completing the preparation of the machine for use the blank space is located directly over a package discharge opening 81 through the bottom of the case into a discharge chamber 32 in the standard 6, that is, in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2. When all but oneof the pockets in the package carrier have been emptied the finger 25 will be in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and the blank space created by the cover 28 will be back of the finger the distance of a one-step movement of the carrier, the term back being used with reference to the direction of vending movement of the package carrier as denoted by the arrow in Fig. 2. That is, the blank space willbe in the position occupied by the pocket 33 and the finger will be in the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. If a coin be inserted with the parts in this position and the machine be operated'the only remaining pocket 34-that contains articles will be discharged and the finger 25 will be carried ahead one step and the blank space on the carrier will be located one step back from that in which it is shown in Fig. 2. When the carrier has again been filled it should be manually positioned forward one step, which will locate the parts in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2, the front edge of the coin carrier at this time being located just ahead of the coin slot and consequently just back of the finger 25. The carrier may be positioned as above set out by manually releasing the cletent 20 and rotating said package carrier backward to the position mentioned, in which position the machine will be in readiness for vending operations.

The term coin has been employed in the specification hereof to denote the medium for operating the package carrier, but it will be understood that this term contemplates any device or token that may be employed for the purpose.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes I have described the principles of operation of my invention, together with the device which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the device shown is only illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

I claim:

'1. A vending machine including a case having acoin slot, a package carrier movably mounted in the case and having means for engagement by a coin for progressive step by step movement thereby, a coin carrier to receive a coin and toengage it with the package carrier to effect such progressive movement, and a stop carried by the package carrier and adapted to be placed in the path of backward movement of the coin carrier in one of its movements and locate the latter in position to close the coin slot in the case.

2. A vending machine including a case having a coin slot, a package carrier movably mounted in the case and having means for engagement by a coin for progressive step by step movement thereby, a coin carrier to receive a coin and to engage it with the package carrier to effect such progessive movement, and a finger rigidly connected with the shaft of the package carrier and having an upturned end adapted to be placed in the path of backward movement of the coin carrier in one of its movements and locate the latter in position to close the coin slot in the case.

3. A vending machine including a case having a coin slot, a package carrier movably mounted in the case and having means for engagement by a coin for progressive step by step movement thereby, a stop carried by the package carrier, a coin carrier to receive a coin and to engage it with the package carrier to effect progressive step by step movement thereof, said coin car rier having a to and fro movement in the path of said stop and movable simultaneousiy therewith to bring said stop into the path of movement of said coin carrier and thereby hold it in position to close said slot.

CHARLES MAY. 

